The present invention relates generally to networking and more particularly to a system for allowing state to be transported around a network easily, reliably and intuitively.
Typically, network information appliances have to be configured for their location, including assigning each network machine its own network address and host name. Typically these devices require a configuration step performed by a system administrator to set the address and name. Automatic configuration methods that do not require a system administrator have been proposed, but they are still difficult to install and support.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a networked information appliance for use on a network, comprising a plurality of agency base units, wherein each base unit is configured on the network with an address and a plurality of agent cards, wherein each-agent card includes state for at least one set of functionality that is provided to a user of the network at an address dependent on the address of the agency base unit into which the agent card is mounted.